Need advice on leaking freeze plug

[JWMcCrary]

My brand new, not even been out of the parking lot 393, has a leak at the freeze plug behind the motor mount on the drivers side. The guy that did my machine work and assembled the short block acts like he feels bad about it, but that doesn't fix my problem. He did say he would send me a freeze plug and give me some future credit on machine work, but still, doesn't help the problem at hand. I ran the engine for about 20 minutes after getting the trans cooler hooked up and the temp was up to about 200. This was inside a building with the roll up door open. While it was running everything seemed fine. About a minute after shutting it off I noticed a drip of antifreeze on the drivers side, 1 drip about every 5 seconds and it continued until the pressure was off enough that I could squeeze the top radiator hose. I am running a Ron Davis Radiator, 16lb cap, stock fan and fan shroud, BC Broncos Tuff Stuff water pump, 180 degree thermostat. Is this something that is only going to get worse? Can this freeze plug be changed without taking the engine out? Would you change anything on my setup for cooling purposes?
Any advice is appreciated, I am a little frustrated.

 

[wildbill]

;D ;D ;D They make a tool that you can put a new one in with out pulling the motor and I hope you used BRASS ones put a little RTV around it when you put it in and you should not have any problems. And you need to find a NEW machine shop mif he wont fix it good luck. %) %) %) Bill %)

 

[JWMcCrary]

Anybody change a freeze plug in a 351W without pulling the engine? What's the odds of being able to drive it as is for a while adding a little water as needed?

 

[Madgyver]

Don't risk boiling your motor over, get that plug replaced and back charge that machinist, Tell him that if he doesn't fix that problem your going to stand in front of his shop and turn away all his customers.

It's the installers fault that this had happened. The freeze plugs should stay ing there and not leak. It's designed to pop out in case your coolant in your motor freezes but now that has been taken care of with antifreeze.

I've broken in motors where the headers would glow red hot and temp going too high, adjusted the timing while it was still running, not to disturb the cam break in process and none of them, and none of them had a problem with the freeze plug leaking.

I hope to see you resolve this...

BTW, it's possible to do it with the motor in the vehicle if you have access to the plug that's leaking. That would mean no inner fenders and such.

 

[73stallion]

fords generally call for a 13lb radiator cap.

 

[scotch]

I had a freeze plug leak once on my 72. I was in high school at the time, with no money and no idea how to replace it. I looked it over very carefully for any indication that it may fall out. It apeared to be seated in the hole properly. I dropped a bottle of barrs leak in the radiator and stopped the leak. It was leak free until the day I knocked that plug out in my college engine rebuilding class. If it happens to me again I'll be tempted to do the same, but probably replace the plug with a deep plug thats less likely to leak.